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N. A .M E K A W M. J. m M 0 /Nx FIRE ESCAPE.

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UNTED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. WAKEMAN, OF WATKINS, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375.587, dated December 27l 1887. Application tiled October 14, 1887. Serial No. 252.307. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, J ons M. WAKEMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Watkins, in the county of Schuyler and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or igures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in nre-escapes; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of the parts thereof, which will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a re-escape for individual usage, which may be adj usted to either a straight or inclined rope, and which is simple and effective in its construction andoperation and positive in its ultimate result. I attain this obj-ect by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters kof reference indicate similar parts iu the several views, and in which-- Figure l is a perspective view of my improvement, showing the manner of using the same. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section thereof.

A A indicate two metallic diskplates,whieh are centrally united by a headed square bolt, A, passing therethrough and retained in connection therewith by a nut,'A. The said bolt A also passes through brace-extensions b b of depending arms B and B. The arm B has a loop, b2, formed at its lower' end for the attachment of the body-strap O thereto, and arm B a hand-grip, b3, at its lower end, and with the disk upon which it is mounted forms a handpressure brake upon the rope for stopping the descent of the person escaping, when so desired. The apertures in the extensions b and b', through which the bolt A passes,are slightly larger than the said bolt, and a leverage against the rope is thereby obtained.

Upon the bolt A, between the disk-plates A, a thimble, As, is mounted, and prevented thereby from turning thereon by the formation of a square hole therethrough, which will be readily understood. Upon the thimble A3 a roller, At, is mounted and has movement thereon.

At the lower portion of the two disks,-A, two bolts, D and E, pass therethrough on opposite sides thereof, and are secured by nuts D and E and by keys dand e. Through the upper portion of said disks A a guide bolt, F, passes, which is in like manner secured by a nut and key.

The rope G, which trails on the ground or is held at an incline, is passed between the disk-plates A first on the inside of the bolt F, then down against the central roller, A, around the bolt D and over the bolt E, and from thence passes out from between the said plates to the ground or to a place of securement.

In using the device the upper end of the rope G is anchored to some part of the building and a body-strap, O, is passed through the eye b2 on the lower end of the depending arm B and around the body of the person escaping, fitting close up under the arms. The arm B is grasped by the left hand, andthe right hand passed around the arm B, and the ngers thereof through the handgrip b3 on the lower end of the arm B. The person then swings himself out of the window or off from any other point of eseapement, and the device slides downward over the rope G. If the descent should become too rapid, a pressure is exerted through the right hand upon the arm B', thereby forcing the disk-plate connected thereto against the rope G, and thus clamp the same between the two disks, and the downward movement slackened or stopped. rlhe arm B is constructed longer than, the arm B', so that the pressure exerted by the right hand upon the arm B will not cause said arm B to contact with or injure the left hand.

If it is desired to use the device on an inclined rope to escape the blaze, the bolt E is removed, the roller A4 now acting as a pulley,

when the descent may be readily made, and the clamping movement be equally efficient.

The utility and adaptability of my improved escape being obviously apparent, it is unnee- 1 essary to further enlarge upon the same herein.

A Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a fire-escape for use upon a rope, the

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combination of the two disk-plates having depending arms, the central roller mounted upon a bolt securing said disks, and the series of bolts passing through said disk-plates adjacent 5 to the peripheries thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a lire-escape for use upon a rope, the combination of the two dislvplates, the depending arms, one of which is formed with an IO eye and the other with a handgrip at their lower ends, the square bolt passing through the extensions of said arms and the disk -plates and having slight movement in said parts, the thiinble mounted on said bolt between the disk- 15 plates, the roller mounted on said thimble, 

